Two Links, one heart
by Metal1loves
Summary: Link has awoken after 100 years to a war torn and empty world. He has a lonely road ahead of him, but there is another restless soul who refuses to adhere to time and space. The two are brought together through the will of the Goddesses to take on Calamity Ganon and save Hyrule. (Basically Link and Link bro fic. Please review! Much thanks)
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

_The sun was setting on the ruins of a battlefield. Fiery red and orange beams cast long shadows on the carnage as men they took their last breath. Spears and weapons lay mixed in with the carnage. Insects filled the air. The cries and moans of the dying blended in with the ambient noises creating a blend of life and death. No one attended the injured or comforted the dying. As the sun began to dip lower in the sky the less cries were heard as slowly soldiers passed on _

_Laying against a rock outcrop amidst the wreckage was a knight. His hair was matted with sweat and dirt and his left eye had a large gash running over it. It was covered with blood and had seeped down his face and onto his armor. His abdominal was also soaked with blood and his hand was pressed against it. Short labored breaths escaped him._

_The knights good eye was half closed as he waited for his fate, accepting what may come. Looking up his eyes looked to the horizon, and in his eye was a profound sadness. He clenched his fist, pulling up what little grass was there. This was not how it was supposed to end! He was a hero, even if no one knew it. He had risked his life countless times, only to have it taken in the most forgettable manner. _

_The knight looked to his right and saw his fallen banner, the crest of the royal family he had dedicated his entire life to. It was so much more to him though, it was a land he called home and one who he could never escape. It called to him from all ends of the earth, bringing him back to its familiar rivers and woods time and time again. With his calling came deep sorrows that he could never ease, never unburden. The scars were not physical, they lay much deeper than that. He had watched his first love forget about him, watched her marry another. He had seen the grief in his wife's eyes at his restlessness and tension. _

_Now, when his wife was expecting, at what should have been his moment to return home, he was struck down in what was supposed to be a simple mission. Fate was indeed cruel to him in this hour. No divine intervention was to be had this time it would seem._

_A wolf howl was heard in the distance. The twilight was slipping closer and soon the darkness would come, and with it all the unknowns. The knight feeling the night seep into his bones closed his eyes and silently slipped away. _

Ch 1.

A gentle breeze blew through one of Hyrule's many forests as Link walked along a path. His journey from Haneto had been peaceful so far. He had successfully avoided monster encampments, still being very weak. It was strange to think that while he had only been awake for a three weeks, that he was a hundred years old. The knowledge was useless though as he had no memories of anything before waking up, which seemed a high price to pay for a second chance.

Link felt very lost in this large strangely desolate world, ravaged by monsters and war. He wished the voice that had woken him up would come back, but it was in vain. Ever since leaving the shrine of resurrection he had heard nothing.

Impa had been less than helpful, giving him vague directions and bold assertions of his destiny and duty to the land. Link wondered if he was truly being given a second chance of life, shouldn't he get to choose this own destiny?

Link was broken out of his thoughts by his stomach grumbling, and suddenly he remembered how hungry he was. He decided to take a break and sat under a tree while he pulled out some food he had prepared before he left the village.

Sun filtered down through the leaves warming the ground Link sat on. Birds chirped softly and a few squirrels jumped from tree to tree. Link's attention was drawn off by a deer grazing on further off the path. Link put down his lunch and slowly drew his bow out. Stealthily he made his way over, crouching in the tall grass. Just when he had a clear shot the deer caught wind of him and bolted.

Link cursed. Standing as fast as he could he made chase, not wanting what could be a potential dinner to get away. Unfortunately it seemed the deer was to get the better of him as it disappeared into the denser growth. Link sighed putting his bow away and making his way back to the trail. Along the way he did find several mushrooms and a few apples, so at least it was not completely in vain.

Sitting back down under the tree, Link pulled out his shieka slate and pulled up his map to see how much longer he'd be in this forest. Sitting there he heard what sounded like a horse coming down the road. Coming towards him was a traveler riding a horse, laden with supplies. The women riding seemed younger and has dark hair neatly put up. On her back was a sword. Link at least admired her for her preparedness in taking on the wild. It was more than he could say when he had woken up.

As she got closer, Link gave her a half wave, since it seemed rude to not acknowledge her presence when it was so rare to see anyone on the road. The women, who seemed oblivious until that point, saw him and called out.

"Hey traveler!" She waved her hand and pointed her horse in Link's direction. Getting there she pulled up her chestnut horse to a stop.

"Hey" Link responded curtly, not really thinking he'd have to converse with strangers today.

"How's the road been? You been traveling far?" she asked relaxing in her seat. Not a smart move Link thought as she had no way of knowing if he was an actual threat. But maybe she was the threat, which would explain her calm demeanor.

"Good. I'm coming from Haneto. Where are you going?'

"I trying to get to the wetland stable, but I think I must have gotten turned around…I heard reports of a lot of monster sightings so I took the long route around. Either way I'm lost." She gave a nervous laugh and rubbed her neck. There was a moment of awkward silence where if Link was more inclined he'd give some sort of response. He was not. So the traveler continued.

"So…where are you headed on foot? Must be an awful long journey without a horse," she attempted, trying a new tactic.

Link thought for a minute. He wasn't really sure where he was going, but since he was in the East he may as well keep going. That would probably take him Zora's domain in a day or two. So Link picked that one.

"Zora's Domain and it's better for going over difficult terrain. Horses can't climb," Link answered with a wave of his hand. The reality was Link had tried several times to tame a horse, but so far his lack of stealth had made it impossible.

"Huh, never thought of that. That's not a bad point if you want to get somewhere quickly, but that's far more dangerous with the extra monsters. You'd have to carry far more equipment" she thought aloud.

"I guess"

"You must be pretty decent with fighting if you can handle that. Were you taught? It's so rare to see anyone who can take down monsters" she admired. Link fidgeted awkwardly under the scrutiny and praise.

"I don't know…I guess I was trained, but it's been a long time." There was no possible way he could tell her that he was a 100 year old resurrected knight. Even he had a hard time grasping that.

"Wish I had gotten proper training," she remarked wistfully. "Then maybe I could explore more and maybe finish my book."

"You're writing a book?"

"Yeah, it's not much. I really like looking into plants and the medicinal properties that they have. A lot of the plants though live in drastic climates, and hard to get places. Makes it really hard to get to if you don't have some survival skills"

"I see."

"Yeah. I hear the wetlands have a lot of march reeds that have properties, but I really can't get many samples. It loads down the horse and makes running away from monsters pretty hard."

"I'd imagine," Link replied politely.

"Yeah, but if we're heading in the same general direction maybe we could travel together for a bit? Least for a bit." She smiled. Link was a little taken back by the warm sentiment. He hadn't traveled with anyone or meet anyone who had wanted to travel together.

"I mean, only for a bit…I don't want to slow you down," Link tried, not sure how to take the idea. Of course it was him being slowed down but it might be night to connect with another human after so long.

"Fantastic!" she exclaimed. "I can tell you all about my findings if you want. I'm such an adventure like yourself could make use of the information. The names Sybli by the way. Whats yours?"

He hesitated for a second. "Link…my names Link."

"Well Link nice to meet another explorer and adventure. If you're ready lets get started!"

The trees had open up into a hilly grassland that had several swampy areas that made maneuvering difficult. There had been rain showers several times throughout the day, but they were light and more of a way to cool off. The sun was getting lower in the sky and reflected off the boggy areas. Buggs flew around and frogs hopped from puddle to puddle.

Link walked next to Sybil as she rode her horse. She had been making u the majority of the conversation, going on about the plants she had wanted to look into and her findings so far. She didn't seem to mind his tendency of silence. In fact she seemed to welcome the opportunity to just ramble on about whatever was on her mind.

The times Link did talk it was to comment now and then recopies, and occasionally to talk about the monsters and the ruins he'd found. The deserted battle field of guardians, the garrison, crumbled and ruined. Sybil had been captivated by it all, marveling at his adventurous nature. When Link would grow quite though, she would go right back into the plants.

"Cold resistance is probably the easiest compared to any sort of heat resistance you can get from plants I've found, with chili peppers being a really easy way of going about it"

"hmm chilis you say? Makes sense," Link acknowledged.

"Exactly! Anyways… oh looks like this is the cross road," Sybil said suddenly.

Link looked up and sure enough there was a fork, one way heading north, the other east. The way north was a flat wetland, while the east had large outcropping of rocks. There looked like a storm in the distant mountains, covering them in a gray shroud.

"I guess so," Link conceded. It was about time to get back on the move, he had so much more to explore. Best to not get attached either.

"Maybe our paths will cross again," Sybil said thoughtfully. "Who knows! But I hope you get to where you want to go and you kick some monster ass for all of us, Mr. Hero," she added with a wink. Link's face got hot suddenly.

"Where… where did you…I mean…I" Link tried to articulate.

Sybil laughed. "I'm only joking don't worry. But if there were to be a hero for Hyrule I think he'd be like you, if that makes sense. I just get this sense of nobility and knightliness from you that I've only seen in story books as a kid." She shrugged it off.

"Oh well… thanks then. I hope you finish your book," Link turned facing towards the east. "Safe travels," and with that he headed out.

"You too!" Sybil called out and headed north.

The sun was setting rapidly by the time Link got to the first large outcrop of rock. Link looked around and from here it seemed to be much more hilly. With nigh coming on Link decided to stop for the night. While he could have kept going, stalfos had been appearing more and more often.

There was no point anyways in pushing himself to go faster. Hyrule had waited 100 years, it could wait one more night.

_White mist surrounded everything. It billowed and swirled around a kneeling woman. Her hair was long and golden, but she was trembling. Over and over she mumbled the same mantra over and over under her breath. It was too quite to discern what she was saying, but the tone was of that of a desperate plea. _

_ Laying in front of her was a knight. He was tall and wearing badly damaged armor. His face was pale as death and one of his eyes was missing. _

_ Rising out of the mist came three figures dressed in black robes wearing veils. On top of their heads sat crowns, each one made of a different substance. One was made of black steel adorn with onyx stones, another of silks with dark crystal beads hanging from spidery threads, and the last of dead tree branches woven together. _

_ The three stood around the woman as she pled, tears falling down her face. Silently they stared at her and her knight, not moving an inch. The woman's cries got louder in her desperation and her body began to violently shake. Everywhere the mist got thicker, billowing around the base of the women in black._

_ The figures made no sound. Instead they turned and faced the opposite direction, and slowly walked towards it. As they glided through the mist an eerie chant rose up. _

_**who traveled time and space **_

_** duty bound and density driven**_

_** will wear a younger face **_

_** A second chance given **_

_ Looking right at where Link watched the scene unfolded, the three figures pointed at him. _

_**What will you do hero? **_

_ Then a scream tore through the silence. _

Link shot awake, heart racing. There was another scream, but more distant sounding. Standing up Link brought up the slate and looked towards where the sounds may have come from.

It was then that Link saw the red moon hanging large in the sky. It tinted and illuminated the world in a evil glow. It did help make the land scape more visible. To the north there was a column of smoke. That was a bad sign.

Using his paraglider Link took off in that direction. The wind wiped around him and more than ever Link could feel the presence of the calamity hanging in the air. Dark and slimy it clung to him as the moon rose to its highest point. This was a very bad night to be out on the road.

The smoke was coming from an encampment made of the typical wooden structures Link had gotten used to seeing from Bokoblin bases. Link landed outside of the of the light and crept towards it. From the fire there were silhouette of the monsters as they roasted a large piece of meat on a spit. There were grunts and other loud noises as they all moved around in a frenzy. Some where rummaging through packs while another was kicking and jabbing a mound on the ground. In total there were around ten, which was a more than Link had to face off regularly.

Getting closer Link began to think of a strategy to take them out, when he noticed an item on the ground near the fire. It was a book, and it had an uncanny resemblance to the one Sybil had….

Link's head whipped towards the mound on the ground, as it suddenly look much more human like. His heartrate spiked and he drew his bow. He had a very small amount of regular arrows, but he did have two bomb arrows. Looking around he spotted just what might help him pull this off; bomb barrels. Standing he took aim, knowing he had one shot before he was discovered. Carefully he drew the arrow back aimed slightly up to account for wind and fired.

The explosion threw bokobilns in all directions, unfortunately it didn't seem to take any out. Link drew his traveler sword and rushed into the confusion. Many of the monsters had dropped their weapons in the blast leaving them at the mercy of Link's sword.

This didn't last long as the bokoblins quickly recovered and began to put up a fight. With the element of surprise gone Link began to dash around in hopes on taking on each monster at a time. The monsters weren't taking the bait.

It started to rain.

Link parred, slashed and dodged his way through the rest of the remaining monsters, only narrowly missing getting run through a couple times. Maybe in his pat life he might have easily dispatched the monsters, but in his weakened state there was little more he could do. Mud and water sloshed around as he tried to find sure footing. The bokoblins were also struggling with the sudden and several monsters slipped in the puddles .

After what felt like hours, the last monster fell and disintegrated leaving behind only a few teeth and guts. Link stood in the aftermath, chest heaving. The moon was waning and to the east there was a faint glow. Dawn was coming.

There was a groan to his left and Lin whipped around, remembering Sybil. He ran towards where she lay near middle of the three watch towers. Her body was covered in cuts and her hair was matted with blood. Shallow ragged breaths escaped her.

"Hey, hey stay with me, stay with me," Link's voice shock as he tried to calm the adrenalin running through him. He had not met anyone that he had to take care of. Hell he hardly could take care of himself when he got hurt, how was he supposed to deal with an emergency for someone else?!

Sybil tried to nod but it looked more like a twitch that only affected her head. She was losing awareness fast though, telling from the warmth Lin could feel seeping from her head. Injuries to the skull could be fatal, he recalled, and all bleeding needs to be stopped as fast as possible. Link got to work, sending a silent pray to Hylia that he could save Sybil.

The sun rose to a grey morning as cloud covered the sky. Link leaned against the frame of the bokoblin watch tower, completely exhausted. He had work for what felt like hours trying to bind up Sybil's wounds and give her anything that may stop the blood. But it hadn't made a difference as she had slipped away in the early hours. Link had yelled, threatened, even resorted to slapping her face, but again he was helpless to stop another innocent person form dying.

The body lay there, the top half covered by a cloak to stop Link from having to look at the lifeless face.

He hadn't even known her that well, but it wasn't about that. It was about how he had no power to protect a person who had just wanted to do something with their life. This had been going on for the last 100 years and might have been prevented had he succeeded the first time around. What frustrated him even more was that he didn't even know what he had done wrong the first time. How could he fix it this time around if he didn't know the problem in the first place?!

No one had been remotely helpful in remedying this situation either. The Purah and Impa had simply sent him off to deal with whatever as they had. It was infuriating going in blind.

After just sitting there contemplating everything, Link decided it was time to move on. He didn't have a shovel or any other way to bury the body, so he decided give her what he dubbed a 'wanders burial'.

Breaking down the watch towers he created a pyre, laid the body on and lite it aflame with some flint. The wood was wet and would not light and with each attempt Link got more frustrated with the situation. All he wanted was to pay respect could the goddess not even let him have that?

Eventually it came down to Link using his last bomb arrow to set the wood alight and then tossing the body on the flames. It was ugly and unceremonious but it seemed to fit with everything else that in his life.

While the body burned, Link looked to see if there was anything he could use to make a memorial. After gathering some of the left over items, he settled on making a head stone out of a shield and stuck it in the ground. On it he had put her name and the phrase "lover of plants; died in pursuit of her passion". Maybe when he had more time and tolls he could come back and make a proper marker, but for now he had to make due.

Sybil's book was mostly intact though it had water damage staining a couple pages. Link would give to the people of Haneto when he went back there, maybe someone would publish what she had.

The fire was dying down and with the wet conditions, Link didn't fear it spreading to the rest of the area. It also helped that the encampment had created a barre patch of land, from how heavily traveled it was. Putting his things together, Link gave one last look at the smoldering heap and headed back towards the east. He hoped that would be the last time he had to do that, but something told him it wouldn't be.


	2. Chapter 2

Ch 2 Holy crap I've written so much! I hope I can have as detailed later chapters and such and that I don't lose steam and I can knock out another few of these bad boys.

Far away in Hyrule castle, the princess spirit was restless. It had only been a few weeks since Link had awoken and she had regained full consciousness, having been in a nightmare like dream for the past 100 years. It had allowed her body to rest and not age, but the strain of the years had taken their toll on her spirit.

Suddenly, Zelda felt the power of the goddesses reverberate through her being. Something was happening, something that involved the divine intervention. Spreading her awareness out, she sensed it. There was a new presence in hyrule, one that she had never felt before and was very old.

Calamity noticed it as well. For once it wasn't moving, just hanging in the air, like it was smelling something. Then it let out a huge roar and thrashed around fighting the Princesses control over it.

This wasn't good. Zelda felt her hold on the beast falter for a second as she was met with a rage so primal it shook the entire castle. Whatever had just happen with the power of the Goddess must have caused Calamity react in this way. Zelda wasn't sure yet if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Things were going to change with this thing new player.

It was pouring. Link trudged about trying to find his way through the backwoods during what was clearly a torrential downpour. Everywhere the rocks were slick and the ground soggy. The goal was to try and find a way to Zora's domain So far he hadn't had a lot of luck.

Link sighed and pushed his dripping hair out of his face. He really had only himself to blame for getting so distracted and turned around. He had been following the path until he had seen some herbs and mushrooms on a hill. From there it had spiraled out control as he just went off on his own path.

To be honest Link actually preferred going off the path. It was easier and much more rewarding. He could avoid monsters, take shortcuts , and search the wild for whatever he needed. Link was rather proud of how self-sufficient he had become through this.

Finally in the distance Link could make out what looked like glowing watchtowers. It seemed to be the stroke of luck he needed. As he approached it he began to notice the distinct architecture that was completely different than any other he'd seen before, with it blue hue and curved flowing lines. It must have been made by the Zora's. The towers were actual situated in front of a bridge and the elusive path Link had lost ran right across it.

As he approached the bridge Link reflected on the past few days. They had been quite but Link had been having more strange dreams of that he couldn't quite remember when he woke up. All he seemed to recall was a white fog and crying, but that wasn't helpful. Dragging him out of his stupor came a loud enthusiastic voice.

"Say, hey there!" Link looked around trying to identify the voice. "Young one! Up top! Above you!" Looking up Link finally saw the speaker. It was a giant red Zora on a ledge on top of a tower. Once Link made eye contact, he leaped over and landed on the ground near him.

"Pardon the entrance, but you are a Hylain aren't you. I was hoping perhaps you had a moment to talk…."

It was in the next few minutes that Link learned several new things. The first being that this massive decorated Zora was no regular Zora, but a prince named Sidon. Prince Sidon had a contagiously uplifting personality that made Link like him almost immediately, and it didn't hurt that he had an amazing smile.

When Link introduced himself he found himself smiling as the Prince declared his name to be fantastic. This eccentric and bubbly personality is not one he would have associated with a prince.

The second thing Link learned was that Zora's domain was in serious danger due to over flooding. Apparently this perpetual nightmarish storm was not natural of the region. If Link could go as soon as possible that it might save the lives of the entire domain.

"So Link will you come to Zora's domain and help my people?" Sidon pleaded.

"Of course! I was actually heading there anyways so.. well.." Link trailed off. He sometimes had no idea how to convey himself to others. Sidon didn't seem to notice in the slightest.

"Fantastic! I knew from the moment I saw you that you would be a noble and mighty warrior!" Link wished he had the same amount of confidence in his own abilities that Sidon had in him.

"Is this the path to Zora's domain?" Link asked. It seemed like a ridiculous question once he said it.

"Yes it is, but unfortunately the road have been filled with electric monsters of late making it hard for anyone to travel," Sidon explained motioning to the path that went into the foothills past the bridge. "We must hurry ahead though there is not a moment to lose at such at dire time as this!" he exclaimed enthusiastically and gave Link another winning smile.

"Oh! That's right," he stopped suddenly. "I have something that I would like to give you!" He reached into one of his pouches and pulled out a small bottle. "It is a drink that will increase your resistance to electricity!"

Link took the bottle gingerly. "Thanks…your highness."

Sidon laughed. "No need for formalities, warrior! Now lets be off!"

Link blocked an incoming strike from a Lizalfos as it charged. It was hard to get a hit in as it was very fast and jumped around so much. With the electrical storm, Link had changed to using a spiked Bokoblin club that he picked up. It was slower but packed a punch when he got a hit in.

Suddenly there was an opening and Link was able to deliver a killing blow to the Lizalfos face knocking him back where it promptly disintegrated. This had been at the least the 10th monster he'd fought so far. Sidon had been right when he said there were a lot of them.

Gather the parts and the boomerang left behind, Link continued on the path. Speaking of Sidon, when he had said they were going together Link had assumed they would be traveling together. Apparently what Sidon had meant was that he would stay mostly in the water and scout ahead and meet Link at certain points to give him an update on the road ahead.

Link put a hand over his eyes to shield them from the rain as he looked around. He could see some many possible ways to get there faster if only he could climb, but the rain had only come down harder so that was not an option. He felt watched being on the road and wanted to get off it as soon as he could.

A flash of lighting flashed, soon followed by the rumble of thunder. The storm was on top of Link.

Listening Link heard howling being carried on the wind. He groaned and hoped that it was coming from a distance. Dealing with wolves and monsters at once would be far too much.

Continuing onwards link wondered what the divine beast would be like. He heard a lot about them but had never seen one before, or least remembered seeing one. They must be powerful if they could create such natural disturbances like this one.

"Hey Link!" came Sidon's voice from the river as Link crossed the Oren Bridge.

Link looked over and saw him in the water. He gave a wave in acknowledgement.

"The path looks clear but I've been seeing some strange actively ahead," Sidon reported. "It's nothing you can't handle I am sure though. I believe in you Link!" With that he propelled himself into a spiral dive back into the water.

Link shook his head. It was embarrassing how much praise Sidon laid on.

The uphill climb was taking it's toll on Link's body as he was starting to fatigue. He hadn't seen Sidon in a while and with how he felt his every move being tracked, he was on edge. There was something defiantly following him, a presence that Link felt get stronger and stronger the further he went.

He had to keep going though, and hopefully whatever was there would either go away or face him. Link hated not knowing where his enemies were.

The wind howled and once again Link though he heard the sound of wolves. This time it was much closer and Link mentally prepared himself in the very likely case that he would have to deal with another threat.

Suddenly Link heard a rustle over the rain. He spun, drew his boomerang, and faced the noise. Sitting in the undergrowth was a massive golden wolf. Baffled by how he hadn't seen it before, Link stepped closer. The wolf remined motionless, as if it were made of stone. It was unnaturally still.

Then in a split second it crouched down into a stance and in one leap cleared Link's head. He spun ready for a fight only to see the wolf running across the bridge. Link sprinted after it. If this was the creature that was following him he wouldn't let it get away. Putting every last bit of effort he had in him Link gave chase.

The scenery flew by as he ran after the golden beast. Running, Link passed a moblin on a bridge, that in it's surprise didn't even have time to swipe at the hylain. He also heard Sidon's voice but was too focused on catching the wolf. The beast was incredible fast.

They passed through a large group of moblins. These ones were prepared and were ready to strike. The wolf dodged in between them but Link wasn't so lucky. He barely missed getting pegged in the chest by a club, and quickly pulled out his shield to block another swing at his head. The force knocked him off balance a bit though which left him open to a third moblin who came at him with a sword.

Out nowhere the moblin who had been about cut off Link's head was knocked back by the Golden wolf who leaped and latched onto his throat. The monster roared in pain as the wolf sunk it's canines in.

Link stood shocked, but soon was pulled back into reality by the other two moblins that needed to be taken care of. Link went to work and met the first one head on, parring his strike off his shield and giving himself the chance to upper cut the monster. It roared as it was knocked off balance, but Link didn't let up. A few more hits and it went down.

The second moblin didn't seem to learn from the mistakes of his companion and made the same charge at Link as the first. It never made it as the wolf grabbed it's leg and pulled it from under the monster. With it down Link took a running leap and stabbed his boomerang through the chest.

Turning he saw the wolf again taking off down the path. Sighing and wiping the sweat off his face Link took off after him.

At least he knew that wolf wasn't trying to hurt him. But why have him follow it? Was it trying to show him something? If so there had to be an easier way than this.

Rounding a bend Link saw the wolf go off the path into the a small grove of trees. Following it he saw it come to a stop under a tall pine tree and lie down. It was curled around something under the tree, eyes on Link as he approached it slowly.

As Link got closer he saw that the thing on the ground was a small figure. He gasped and tried reach out, only to stop when the wolf barred it teeth in a low growl. Link retracted it, and getting an idea, crouched down. Slowly he undid his weapons and lay them aside, putting his hands up. The wolf seemed to understand, but there was no way of really knowing.

Slowly Link approached, this time in a crouch and much slower. The wolf this time did not growl and allowed for Link to get closer to the figure. It was a small hylian boy! His eyes were closed and his clothes were soaked through.

Link gasped and looked up the wolf.

"He needs help! Let me take him," he told it. Somehow the wolf seemed to understand as it dipped it head and slowly got up. Link grabbed the child and cradled him as he headed back to the path, with the wolf following closely.

Up ahead Link could see Zora's domain glowing faintly in the dark. They were close! Link picked up the pace and lengthened his stride. He had no idea how long a child could survive in the cold wilderness. seeing as he wasn't waking up though they were running out of time.

As they got to the final stretch of bridge, the wolf stopped. Surprised by this, Link turned looking at it. There seemed to be a deep saddens coming from it that he couldn't explain. It had not facial expression yet Link could tell it didn't want to leave the boy.

"Thank you" Link shouted over the rain. "I would have never found him without you, but I need to go." The wolf seemed to understand and slowly it turned and ran into the mist.

With it gone, Link ran as fast as he could along the high pathway. It was slippery from the rain, and he nearly lost his footing. Link's heart was pounding and he fought through the numb feeling that creeping into his limbs. He was so tired, but he had to keep going. His grip on the child never loosened though, and his knuckles were turning white.

There was a stretch where he didn't know where he was, just that he had to keep his legs moving. The pounding of blood in his ears was deafening and the rain blurred his vision. Everything was a roar of noise around him and his surroundings faded in and out. It felt like an eternity stretched out in front of him.

Suddenly he was standing beneath an arch way, which was strange as he didn't know how he had gotten there.

"Whoa! " came a voice. It sounded very familiar. Looking up he saw Sidon run towards him. "Link I've been waiting for you!"

"Welcome to Zora's…" the prince began when Link quickly cut him off.

"Sidon please, help him."

The large zora looked shocked when he saw what Link was carrying, and ran to them as Link swayed. The exhaustion was almost too much. Sidon grabbed Link and steadied him, calling to some guards that were near.

"Get help, the hylian is injured!"

"No! I'm fine, it's the child."

Sidon looked skeptical. "Are you sure? You look green about the gills."

"I'm fine, just tired now please lets go!" Link begged. He couldn't feel his arms anymore. Sidon didn't look convinced but he made no further argument. Together they made their way into the domain. Sidon led Link to a center fountain, where a group of healers were waiting. They looked surprised when Link showed them the child but Sidon motioned them to take him. It was harder than originally thought as at this point Link's hands had locked and needed to be forced open. The then carefully carried the child away.

Once the child was gone, Link leaned against Sidon for support. Looking around he finally noticed the statue in the middle of the fountain. It was a young female zora with a trident looking lovingly down. She was decorated in a sash that wrapped that went around her shoulder and hip. The ordainments that she wore were in a similar fashion to Sidon.

All of sudden name appeared in Link's head. _Mipha. _There was a burst of pain as a memory surfaced. Link clutched his head a staggered back, shocking Sidon. Then the world slowly dissolved around him and knew no more.


	3. Chapter 3

Ch 3

Quick Note:

Thanks for everyone who took the time to read the last two chapters! Especially to the two people that reviewed, it meant the world to me. To anybody that was wondering I will go back and fix the grammar mistakes, so thank you for telling me about them I do really appreciate it (I'm terrible at catching them myself). Also a gold star for reviewer FCL for figuring out some important stuff!

_It was a warm afternoon, and two figures sat on the trunk of a large mechanical creature. One was a young Hylian man wearing a light blue tunic. The other was a red Zora covered in jewelry and was wearing a matching sash over her chest. Her hands were on the man's arm, and a blue glow emanated from her touch. Around them, the gentle breeze blew. _

"_I was thinking…this reminds me of the time we first met"_

Link lay on the ground, letting the rain hit his face and puddle around him. His vision was coming back as the vision faded out, and the world came back into focus. It must have been a memory… but Link felt no connection to any of it. The place was foreign, and even the events surrounding it were unknown. It was like watching the life of another person.

The memory wasn't his any longer. It belonged to a bygone day when he was a different person, and there was still hope. But now it only served as a painful and awkward reminder that he was not the same person.

There was a hand helping him sit up, and Link finally saw the face of the worried Zora prince. It seemed returning with an injured child and promptly collapsing was not what he had expected when he asked for a Hylian to help the Domain. Link offered a small smile in reassurance. He struggled to stand and gladly accepted the Sidon's help in pulling himself up. Link's entire body was drenched now.

"Say Link are you sure you are well? I mean no disrespect to your abilities as a warrior but you do seem a bit fatigued," Sidon worried aloud. His radiant smile was replaced with a heavy look of concern. "…And you did just collapse, which seems to be a heavy indicator of over-exertion. But naturally, you would want to help the child in need, of course, you must have rushed here! A warrior always puts others first, never taking a moment to think for himself." There was no stopping Sidon at this point.

Link stood there amazed as Sidon again began to sing his praises. There was no bringing the Zora prince down it seemed.

Awkwardly, Link went along with it. The praise seemed underserved after his recent failure to save even a person he'd just met for one day from the monsters in the world. His pack with the book of plants felt very heavy all of a sudden. It just didn't feel right. He fidgeted uncomradely hoping Sidon would stop soon.

Sidon went on, was waving his hands dramatically in expressing his thoughts to the surrounding Zora's as he half guided half carried Link into a pavilion that served as a house. While there were no walls, at least it was dry and out of the rain.

Pushing away from the tinge of guilt, Link took in the inside and the growing smell of what had to be the most delicious fish dish he'd ever smelt. The room was bathed in a blue light that emanated from the walls around, illuminating a table and stove where a large pot was simmering. So that was the smell! Link's stomach growled loudly at the sight of it and had to restrain himself from lunging for it. A Zora was tending to it and gave a slight bow when they saw the prince.

Sidon addressed this Zora. "Please makes this Hylian feel welcomed and give him lots to eat," he instructed, helping Link into a chair. Then he turned to Link. "I am going to speak to my father and tell him you have arrived, while you recover your strength. I'll return when you are ready, and we can then discuss the best course of action in subduing the divine beast," Sidon told him. "Eat as much as you like; it will help you regain your energy." With another vibrant smile, Sidon left.

Link sat there as the Zora began to fill a bowl for him. It smelled even better if that was possible. Very hearty, almost like a fish stew with different vegetables. When the dish was finally in front of him, Link dug in. It must have been comical to watch him scarf down so much so quickly, but Link was too tired and hungry to care. He liked food too much and had found that he needed to eat a lot.

"You like it?" the Zora asked. Link only nodded, mouth too full of food to respond. "It's one of Zora's Domain's specialties, full of the best fish and vegetables in the region. I'm glad you are enjoying it." The Zora went on to going back to setting up what looked like a bed.

Before Link knew it, the bowl was empty, and he was started on seconds. It'd been a while since he'd had free homemade food, the last time being in Hateno. His cooking skills weren't bad, but they definably needed some work on improving the overall taste. He'd have to ask for some pointers before he left.

Finally, after the third bowl, Link sat back, feeling genuinely full, but at the same time like he was going to pass out from exhaustion. As the Zora was clearing his bowl, they seemed to notice Link's drooping lids.

"If you would like there's a bed in the corner," they motioned to the stack of blankets in a little alcove in the wall. "You will not be disturbed there, and it would be best for you to get some rest."

Link was too tired to comment as he nodded his head and made his way to the bed. His steps were wobbly and fell on the only decent bed he'd had in far too long. The Zora started to say something, but Link was already asleep.

_Link stood in a barren landscape. The white fog was everywhere, making it impossible to differentiate between the ground and the sky. It went on endlessly in all directions. In front of him was a large black pool. It had no reflections and seemed to suck in all the light around it. There were no ripples. Being in the very presence of it made him feel cold. _

_Behind the pond was the only other distinguishing feature. It was black and dried up tree that had no leaves. It stood a little ways off on a mound of elevated dirt. _

_Suddenly there was bubbling up, and a hissing noise from the pool as the water began to ripple. It was smelled like brimstone. Out from the middle rose a hand, as dark as a shadow. It grasped onto the shore, followed by another hand. Whatever it was began clawing its way up onto land. It had the look of a person, but it was anything but that as inky shadows danced around. Its skin was an ashy gray, and it wore all black. From it came a rasping noise, like a dying animal struggling for its last breath. _

"_Where is he? Where is he?!" came it's voice, hissing in between breaths. Its words had a crazed tone that bored on insanity._

_Link wanted to run away from the creature, but he couldn't move. He could only stare forward at the monstrosity that was emerging in front of him. What in the goddess' name was it?_

_It seemed to sniff and finally caught wind of something as it looked up. If Link could of, he would have gasped as looking straight at him were two glowing red eyes. It's face was twisted in a wicked grin. _

"_Found you" it breathed, and then it lunged._

Link shot awake covered in a cold sweat. Already his nightmare was beginning to fade, but he could not get those two red eyes from his mind. Everything else was foggy. These half remembered dreams were becoming far too common, but Link had more important things to worry about, namely saving a city from being flooded.

Looking around Link could see that it looked a bit brighter. It was probably morning though the constant rain clouds made it hard to determine exact times. He decided he needed to get up and moving. Standing Link saw that someone must have taken off his pack and weapons while he slept and put it to the side. He probably would have gutted himself in his sleep if they hadn't taken those. Grabbing his weapons, Link strapped back on his gear and headed out.

It was just as rainy as Link though it was going to be and at this point no use in trying to dry his cloths again. All around the domain were worried Zoras, though kids still played oblivious to the tense atmosphere. One of the guards nearby saw Link and waved him over.

"I'm glad you're awake. Sidon requested that I escort to the King's throne to discuss the beast. Please follow me," he instructed and began heading to one of the stair cases. Link followed close behind.

Now that Link was fully aware he began to notice the palpable tension present where he walked. There was no mistaking the glares from other Zoras as they pasted by. Link was beginning to suspect that some Zoras did not look to kindly on Hylains for whatever reason. He was even more confused as when they walked by one group of older looking Zoras, Link could distinctly make out the word "murder."

Link was shocked by this. He had no idea that relations were this bad between the two races, but with all stress from the Calamity it wasn't not outlandish. Link only wondered what specific incident caused it.

Walking up another case of stairs, they came to a giant fish carved into the stone whose mouth served as entrance. The Zora guard stopped and motioned for Link to enter. Taking a deep breath, Link steadied himself. He needed to be at his best for this. Squaring his shoulders, Link went in.

Bright blue eyes slowly opened. Everything was so bright, and there were shapes drifting in and out of his vision. The eyes squeezed shut. There were voices, too, ones that were getting louder and clearer with each moment. All he wanted was them to go away and take whatever bright light was there with them.

The more conciseness returned to him, the more he couldn't ignore the growing awareness of his situation. He was perplexed. First, he had no idea where he was or who was around him. There seemed to be a rather large gap and lack of anything really as if he didn't have any memories.

His heart rate spiked as panic set in, and he finally opened his eyes and faced the harsh light.

"Typical Hylian behavior. Brings one of its own that's wounded, not caring about the burden they put on us. Are there no Hylain doctors?"

"Very true. Especially all the damage they've caused us."

There wasn't much he could make out of the room, but the voices he definably could hear better. One that seemed to be coming from a sizeable blueish blob was speaking.

"He seems to be waking up. Laruto, please go inform Prince Sidon of the news," followed by an "Of course" and the disappearing of another blob. At least that was what the boy could make out, but things where about to become much more interesting, and not just for him.

Far to the southeast, in the a desert valley sat a man all dressed in red silently peeling a banana. The man had a sizable gut, which was accentuated by the tight outfit and wore a mask with an upside down eye.

Around him rose high stone walls, sanded smooth by the decades of storms that raged through. Red banner where hung, decorating the area.

As the man was about to take his first bite, with no visible mouth hole in his mask, there seemed to a sudden chill in air. The man stopped, looking around. The shadows were looking darker than normal. There was also a dripping noise that was not there before.

Putting down the banana carefully, the man stood and got into a defensive stance. There was defiantly magic in the air, though he could not tell if it was the calamity's. All he knew was that it left a dark and cold feeling and that it was old.

"I know you're there! I am the great Master Kohga and I demand you show yourself" he called out. To show he meant business he summoned a spike ball and levitated it above his head.

There came low laughter echoing off the walls of the canyon. It had an edge that sent shivers down Master Kohga pine. He spun around but could not find its source. Then a voice came, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Pathetic," came the dark voice softly.

Then to his right there was movement. Master Kohga spun to face it, but there wasn't anything there…yet.

An inky blackness was gathering and pooling on the ground, like a liquid shadow, It grew larger and larger until it was the size of a Goron. From its depths rose an ashy figure with red eyes. Master Kohga had never seen anything like it

"There is a new threat" it hissed. "One that requires the Yiga's clan attention and assistance. Ganon will be most displeased if you fail him in this task also."

Note; so this one is short I'm sorry but I'm starting the next one right away. I just can't proceed until I come up with a good name for our (as you may have guessed) other Link. I can't refer to him as Link and I'm trying to not make it campy so calling him by his game won't work either. I was thinking of either an L name (Len, Lye or something) or Shade (after the Hero's Shade). If anyone has any better suggestions please pm me or leave a comment.

For next time! The meeting and Link taking on the Divine Beast (with some possible help) .


	4. Chapter 4

Ch 4

Hello! So going to get started in on this and hope for the best. I've also chosen a name for young Link.

For the past few days Zelda had waited, baited breath, for any sign of change. Since the first arrival of the new presence and the calamity's reaction, she had expected something big to happen. But so far there had been nothing, and it worried her.

Maybe she was being paranoid, but if there was anything she had learned was that to let your guard down for a second could cost you. It was how she and the champions had failed 100 years ago and cost them their lives. Zelda swore she'd never make that mistake again.

Just the thought of her dead friends made her double check her hold on the Calamity. Trapped within the holds of the castle by her power, the beast itself could not move or spread. That didn't stop it from sinking it's poisonous influence in the world though.

Just as she finished going over the bonds, she heard a deep voice. It was a mere whisper, but seemed to fill her whole head.

"So you think these will hold me forever do you? How naïve."

Zelda was frozen with fear. In all her time in this prison, not once had she ever heard the Calamity speak. She had considered it as one of the few blessings from the Goddess.

"Why so quite? No words left after all these years? Or have you simple forgotten how to in your divine solitude?

"You…you can speak?"

"Oh yes, but only in your mind. I lack a proper body, and the rage of the beast blinds it to all else. But I am more than a simple force of nature. It seems in your obsession with the Calamity you neglected your studies in other areas."

"It's not possible… how …why…no it does not matter. This changes nothing. My powers still contain you. You will not have Hyrule today or any other as long as I am alive."

"I would very much like to witness your lifeless body, but while your pride seems to have clouded your judgement think on this. You and your hero couldn't beat me the first time, what makes you think this time will be any different? "

Zelda physically drew back in shock, shutting her mind off to the slime of its words. They left her with a feeling of dread. If the Calamity had surprised them once, was it possible that it'd do that again?

No, she couldn't think like that. There was still a chance and by the goddess they would do everything in their power to take that chance. They couldn't afford not to.

Link was very annoyed at the interaction that was unfolding in front of him. It definably was not what he had expected when finally getting to meet the royalty.

First was the fact that the King recognized him almost immediately and it wasn't just because of the Sheika Slate this time. The large Zora had stated quite clearly that he was someone whom Link had personally known previously. This had been quite awkward as it brought up the fact that Link had absolutely no memory of any of his past.

Secondly whoever King Dorephan's advisor was had to be the most rude and cynical person Link had ever encountered. If it hadn't been for Sidon speaking on his behalf, Link may have said a few choice words to the old fart. Not only did he talk down to his face, but he seemed to be blaming the entirety of the last 100 years on him, not to mention the death of lady Mipha.

The discussion around Mipha was another area of discomfort. While Link had only had the brief vision of a past encounter with the Zora princess, apparently there was much more that to it than that. The King was quite adamant that the two of them had been very close. But that may have been an underestimate.

Finally after talking about the past and Link being insulted on all fronts, they began to discuss the problem at hand.

"We need to stop Vah Ruta's rampage or it will flood the whole of Hyrule with it's endless supply of water. Champion Link what are your thoughts?" asked the King. Link tried to not cringe at the title.

"No, I have to do more than cut off the water supply. I was instructed that I need to enter and purge it from the inside.

"Who's orders were this though? I have not heard any of this from any of my contacts."

"Well… it was Princess Zelda who instructed me" this wasn't quite true. It had been Impa, but Link assumed they would be more willing to follow his idea if they thought it came directly from the Princess. It also was the only way Link could think of itbring up the fact that Zelda was still alive. He had worried they would take it badly if they found out that the Hylain princess was still alive when they had lost their own princess.

The King gasped in surprise. "What! I do not believe it! So Zelda is still alive after all these years! An unexpected surprise to be sure," he exclaimed.

"What is her strategy then? From what I gather the Princess was always very resourceful. She must have thought of something," Sidon questioned. He was looking very intently at Link, a determined light in his eyes.

Link nodded. "Yes. Her goal is to reclaim all the Divine Beasts. With their combined power she hopes that we can finally seal the calamity," he explained, making motions with his hands.

There was a moment of shocked silence that followed. Link shifted unconfutable under the three gazes, trying not to think about the implications of what he just said. He knew it was a loaded statement that would completely change everything that the Zora's had come to expect after the last 100 years. They had gotten used to living under these chaotic situations, it would be too good to be true if suddenly someone came and said they could fix everything.

The King broke the silence first.

"We cannot change the past but that does not mean that we cannot take back what is ours and seal the beast once and for all!" King Dorephan stated. Closing his eyes and sighing he said "This last 100 years have taken much from us "Champion Link you have our full support behind this

Link let out a sign of relief that they had faith in him. He hoped he wouldn't let them down.

"But if you are to enter the Diven Beast," King Dorephan continued, "You will need to wear something that will protect you in the water." He motioned to a guard who turned away and shortly returned with a chest. Muzu's face got red at just the sight of him. Link thought it looked rather comical against his green scales.

"You cannot be seriously thinking of giving him that amour?" Muzu sputtered. "It has been our tradition that they be given to their betrothed! It is to be an act of engagement. Yet to let this Hylain, who had not such relationship with our beloved Mipha wear it is outrages." MIzu was fuming and his arms were visibly shaking with rage. He was not one to hide his thoughts.

Shocked by the revelation Link found himself for once agreeing with Muzu. "I'm sorry your Majesty, but are you sure? It must be very important…I don't feel it would be right…"

While Link did agree that he needed it to get inside the Vah Ruta, it did seem a bit disrespectful to wear the descended engagement present of the princess. Even if they had been friends before all this, that still didn't give him the right to wear something this important.

Sidon gave his father a knowing look and the two seemed to come to a silent agreement. Turing to face Link again, Sidon cleared his throat to address this.

"Muzu…Link …I think you need to know who this armor was for originally made for," He said carefully. "Please Link put it on."

"Oh…alright," gingerly Link took the armor out of the servants hands and began to pull the set on over his travelers tunic. The material didn't feel like anything he'd ever had before, smooth yet textured. Every piece was fitted together and the whole ensemble was designed to have the look of a Zora.

After pulling the top on Link paused. That was odd. The top part of the set fit perfectly, almost as if it had been made for him. More shock when the greaves also were exactly his size. Was this some kind of joke? Looking between the shocked Muzu , the intrigued King and solemn Sidon, Link stood there baffled.

"I…I don't understand."

"Link," Sidon began. "The one my sister had feelings for was you. This armor was a representation of this and she would have wanted you to have it."

Shocked, Link stood there completely at a loss for words. What could he say? That he was sorry that he failed another person, that he had no memory of any of the feelings she may have had for him, or that he himself felt that the feelings were unreciprocated? Maybe he be close to her in the past, but any lingering thought would only be a burden to him.

Suddenly, breaking Link out of his daze, a Zora attendant entered. Bowing to King Dorephan he addressed the group.

"My Lord, Prince Sidon, Advisor Muzu, and Link. They Hylian boy you brought is awake, but healer Rarata requests the presence of the Prince and the Hylian."

Fully awake the blue eyed boy sat there. His face was young, probably no more than 13 years old, but he carried an air about him that made him seem much older. He had the markings of Hylian with pointed ears. Both his tunic and cap were a forest green.

He was silent as two Zoras walked about but his eyes darted back and forth suspiciously. Whenever they got too close he seemed slunk back and shied away. His whole body was tense and he jumped whenever there was a crack of thunder.

The two were some of the best healers in Zora's domain since the death of the late princess Mipha, who had been unparalleled in her skill. Since her death the Domain had to simple make do with what they had.

Even lesser Zora healers were still superior to most other races. Zora legend attributed it to a gift given by the spirit Jabu Jabu before he left. The water based magic was uniquely suited for the job of healing and in days long gone was a staple of Hyrule. Now with the royal family and all semblance of a formal army gone there was little use for it outside of the Domain.

After the two Zora had finished with what they could, they went to consult with each other out of earshot.

"Should we seek further treatment?" asked the taller one. He was a light blue and quite young.

"No Joro, we will wait until Sidon and the Hylain get here," responded the shorter one, with a bit of a gargle in her voice. Thin scars littered her face and neck.

The Joro nodded. "Rarata, do you have any idea what could have caused this? He's so young."

"No I do not," said Rarata, shaking her head. "It is all very strange. I sense there are things going on that we do not yet understand." She gave him a look. "You will understand when you have seen more years."

Joro nodded at his mentor. She could be cryptic at times but she had years of experience to give her that. It did not make this case any less frustrating. But he was young so it was perhaps only his inexperience.

Just then, coming through the rain, was Prince Sidon and champion Link, who was wearing full Zora armor. As they entered both healers gave a bow.

"Thank you for coming, but it took you long enough your Highness," Rarata bluntly stated.

"My apologies Rarata, we came as soon as we could. But you know how Muzu is when it comes to anything related to the Hylians," Sidon sighed. "It took up more time than I would have liked."

Rarata snorted, "Hmp same as always I suppose, old sour gills. He wastes his talents on nursing grudges." Then she waved her hand dismissively. "Never mind, I'll show you the child, but I warn you both he hasn't said a word since he's woken up."

Sidon and Link gave each other a look. Sidon seemed to see the worry and gave a reassuring smile to the hylian.

Joro stepped aside to let them through.

Link was worried, though he wasn't sure why. The boy was an enigma, with his strange divine protector to how he had gotten in that situation in the first place. To be fair, Link hadn't truly had to time to sit and think about it all with the destruction of Zora's domain.

Approaching the bed, the boy seemed normal enough. Nothing missing and no serious outward injury. But that face, it was eerily familiar, but Link knew he had never seen him before. Link also noticed that they shared some similar characteristics, like hair and eye color.

Sidon kneeled down in front of the small Hylian. ""Hello little one. My father and I are very happy you seem to be making a full recovery." He gave the boy a bright smile. "What is your name little one?"

The boy seemed to relax in the Prince's warm presence, but only slightly. His body was still very tense.

Sidon waited, but the boy did not respond. The silence stretched on. Sidon was not to be deterred though and pressed on regardless. "Well my name is Sidon, Prince of the Zora people. You were brought here by champion Link only a few hours ago. It is very fortunate that he found you in this storm," The Prince went on loudly. His enthusiasm knew no bonds and he proceeded to compliment the boy on how fantastic he was for something or other.

Link was about to walk forward and intervein when Rarata took his arm. Pulling him away she said, "I would like a word with you if you don't mind". Link could tell it wasn't a request. Turing he followed her outside into the rain.

Once outside the older Zora healer turned on him. Link almost jumped back at the look of determination written on her face, all fake politeness dropped.

"Alright out with it, there's something going on and you know something. This boy is no ordinary child you just happened to stumble across is he?" she accused. Link immediately went on the defensive

"Hey don't go accusing me like that! Why would I withhold information?" he shot back.

"Good question, why would you?" Rarata narrowed her eyes. "The prince trusts you but as you may have guessed we don't know who to trust nowadays. There are rumors of ordinary looking people acting as spies for the Yiga Clan. Just because you have a sheika slate doesn't make you the champion."

Link huffed in annoyance, "Well the King recognized me so there so what about that?" He really didn't want to fight with a cynical doctor.

"Ah but you claim to have no memories, which is awfully convenient, wouldn't you agree?" Rarata countered.

Link had to admit it wasn't a good look when put in that light.

"Look," he tried again. "I can only vouch for what I know and that is I have a mission from the Princess. I swear on the Goddess herself I mean no harm."

"If that's so you'll tell me exactly what happened when you found the boy," she demanded forcefully. "There is magic about him I can sense it, something old and powerful. You clearly may be oblivious but I am not."

Link looked around uncomfortably unsure if Rarata could herself be trusted. He hadn't told anyone how he had found the boy and even now he was reluctant. But on the other hand she already knew he had omitted.

Rarata was watching him very carefully as he mulled over his options. Finally Link made his decision.

"Fine, I'll tell but only because I want to know what it means and you seems to know more about this than I do," Link started. "I was on my way to the Domain when I was jumped at by a golden wolf with red eyes. I chased thinking it was a potential threat until it helped me take care of a group of moblins. Then I followed it into the woods, where it led me to find the boy unconscious," he finished. It didn't seem as much when he actually said it out loud.

Rarata nodded, seeming to be in dep thought. After a few seconds she spoke.

"So that was it?"

"Yes that was it. Trusted me I don't understand it either and there's nothing I can think of that would clear up the situation either," Link wiped rain off his face, exasperated.

"Well, I agree it's not what one would expect, but I'm glad I got it out of you. Just goes to show that you are in fact the same honest kid I used to know those 100 years ago." Rarata shot him a grin, as Link stood there shocked.

"Wait you knew me too! Then what was the point of the whole 'I don't trusted you' charade?"

"Oh course! And that was merely to check to make sure you haven't changed too much since I last saw you," Rarata laughed. "Now let's go back and see if maybe you can get our patient to tell us what he knows."


	5. Chapter 5

Ch 5

Authors note: Next one is here! Yeah! Hope you guys like (even though it's a bit short)

Link followed Rarata back inside, feeling a bit lighter having finally told someone the whole truth behind the strange apprehension of the child. It had been the right thing to do, but he still had a strange feeling that it shouldn't be common knowledge. Call it intuition or the fish stew but his stomach twisted into knots whenever he thought about it becoming open to all.

Inside, Sidon was still at it communicating with the silent child. Only this time he was nearly as tense and nervous as he had been. His shoulders showed had relaxed and his hands had stopped clenching the bed.

"And you see that was how I defeated the giant Octorok and saved the villagers! Oh Link you're back," Sidon gave him a shining smile. "I was just telling this little one a story." He gave a wink that Link interpreted to mean that Sidon was more acutely aware of the child's discomfort than he let on.

Link bobbed his head in appreciation. "Thanks Sidon, I'll take it from here."

"Of course! I'll be back in a few as there are still some preparations needed in taking down Vah Ruta." With that he gave a slight bow and left allowing room for Link to step forward followed by Rarata.

Link was apprehensive for reasons he didn't know. He had always been good around children, in fact he had been bombarded by them at Henateo. This seemed different though. Regardless, Link took a deep breath and started as best he could.

"My name is Link. I'm the one who found you and brought you here." Seemed like a good place to start.

The boy looked up at him curiously, seeming to take in each word slowly. Link could see confusion in his eyes and he suddenly wished Sidon was still here.

Just when Link was about to give up hope that he would be able to make any progress with the boy, he spoke. "Rinku"

Link glanced at Rarata in confusion, who only motioned for him to work with what they got.

"Rinku? Is that…you're name?" Link guessed. To his surprise the boy nodded and seemed to give a little smile. It was a start. Rarata stepped forward.

"Alright Rinku, tell us about you" she asked. Link winced a bit at her no nonsense tone, hoping it wouldn't be too much for the boy.

Rinku sat there for a second scrunching his face up in thought.

"No…I…I don't know." He looked around in confusion, the tension entering his body again.

Rarata raised her brow. "You don't have _any _memory," she stated.

Rinku's eyes started to tear up and his bottom lip started to tremble. He was looking away and refused eye contact.

Link shot Rarata a disapproving look.. Link didn't know much about Zora culture but he was starting to think with the long lifespans they had different ideas of ages. He tried a different approach.

Link kneeled down to be eye level with Rinku. "That's okay, don't worry. I mean I don't have… I mean remember my past at all," Link tried again. Rinku looked up at him with watery eyes.

"Really?!"

Link nodded. "Yeah it was a sacrifice that was part of saving my life. Sometimes it happens, it'll be okay." He tried not to cringe at his own words and how weird it was to compare the memory loss of a child to his 100 year sleep and following amnesia.

The tactic seemed to work though as Rinku was once more engaged and looking ardently at Link.

With eyes wide he asked, "But what about your family? Won't they miss us if we don't remember?"

Link was taken back by that. He really hadn't expected a deep response from someone that young. He himself hadn't really thought about his past family, or if they made it.

"Well, of course but they would want us to be happy…I guess."

Rinku looked away, staring out onto the storm outside. "Do you…do you ever miss them?" It was much quieter this time.

Link at first wanted to say that he couldn't miss what he didn't remember, but it wouldn't be honest. Link did miss whatever used to be filling his heart. The nothingness that was there left him feeling cold and empty, and he craved anything to fill it.

"Yes, I do, but you have to move on in the hopes that one day you will find them," Link smiled, with more enthusiasm than he really felt. But if he could help this child suffer less than he had, Link would do it in a heartbeat.

With that possible source of information being a dead end, the next hour or so was spent getting Rinku to eat and making small talk. Rinku seemed to share Link's taste as he devoured a good four bowls of fish stew. The food seemed to do more good than anything and a bit of color and energy started to return to him.

Rinku was itching to get out of bed as well. As soon as Rarata said it was alright, he was up and moving about taking in everything around the room with a carful precision. More than once he would pick up a bottle and Rarata had to sternly remind him to put it down. Link almost found it comical if he wasn't so confused by why Rinku was so into bottles.

Link also decided he was going to try and see if he couldn't still get some information out of Rinku. At least get to know what was left anyways. It might give him a clue to where he was from.

"So," he started. "If you had to pick between mountains and forests which do you like better?"

"Forest, I like trees a lot."

"Oh really? Anything about them you like?"

"Just…it's nice and reminds me of friends I think. I'm not sure. But I do know that it may because my patron goddess is Farore." Rinku look very proud as he stated this to the room, as if it was an impressive fact.

This got Rarata's attention. "Farore you say?" she mused.

Link was less certain what to make of it. "Farore…what is she the goddess of again?"

Rinku rolled his eyes. "She's the goddess of courage of course everyone knows that. They say she has an affinity with plants, which is why her color is green."

Link had really only seen shrines to Hylia in all the places he had visited, though the name was very similar to the Faron region. He had never heard the courage part before. Was it possible that there was still a group of Hylians existing that practiced this religion?

"Ah I see. Is that why you are wearing green?" Link tried to guess.

Rinku looked down at his cloths. "Oh, I guess. That would make sense. Anyways, what's your patron goddess?" Link wasn't ready to suddenly be on the questioning side.

"Me? Well I don't really have one."

"You should! It's supposed to be good luck. You should have Farore! She's the best and if you get into dangerous spots she'll help you," Rinku asserted. "Then we can have the same one!"

Link felt bad denying the boy, but wasn't sure he was ready to be pulled into a an unknown religion. Luckily it was then that Sidon reappeared carrying a quiver of yellow tipped arrows. They sparked and fizzled in the rain.

"Link! Oh good he's up and about!" Sidon beamed. Link didn't have any time to reply though as Sidon barreled on. " I hope you have had a pleasant time, but if you're ready I think we should go back to my father and finish up the preparations. If all goes well he should be able to begin at sunrise tomorrow"

"Alright. Let's get this done with." Link stood up and went for the door.

"Preparations for what? What's going on?" Rinku asked excitedly. He almost dropped the bottle he was trying to hide in one of his pouches, much to the annoyance of Rarata.

Sidon, ever the one to elaborate, gave Rinku a big grin. "Why to stop the rain of course! But don't worry nothing will happen with our very own Hylian champion here!" He gave Link a pat on the back that nearly knocked the Hylian off balance.

Rinku tilted his head and furrowed his brow. "What's wrong with the rain? I love rain."

"Well you see young one…" Sidon started, but Rarata clearly wanted things to start happening. She decided now was a good time to stop what could be a very long conversation.

"Can't this wait until after you've appeased the Divine Beast? Now get going," she ordered the two. Sidon retreated with Link in tow as they escaped the aging healers thinning patience. She had scolded Sidon plenty times as a child and wasn't afraid to do it again.

With the two gone, Rarata turned back to Rinku.

"So Farore. That's an interesting goddess. Do you know anything more about her? I would love to know more."

He thought for a second then shrugged. "Well she's responsible for life, I think. I don't really know what else she does."

Rarata nodded. Then she asked, "You wouldn't happen to know anything about the Zonai would you?"

Shaking his head Rinku gave a quick disinterested "Nope" before going back to exploring.

Seeing this was probably all she'd get out of him, and the fact that she did have an actual job to tends to, Rarata called Joro back in the room. She instructed him to keep Rinku busy until further notice. Rinku was more than happy to go see more of the Domain and Joro seemed happy to finally get a break from crushing and cooking herbs. Together they headed out so Rinku could explore.

Finally with the peace and quiet back that she missed, Rarata turned back to her work. She had to get supplies in preparation for the worst, should Link and Sidon fail in bringing down Vah Ruta.

Looking around, it was then that Rarata noticed that she was missing no less than five glass bottles. Amnesia or not, Rinku was going to feel her wrath when he got back.

It hardly looked like morning with the low hanging clouds and rain. Everything was shrouded in a drab grey tone as the storm created by the Divine Beast raged on.

Link and Sidon stood on the edge in front of the damn that overlooked the Vah Ruta. The mechanical beast was a massive and intricate thing, with gears and wheels visible from even where they stood. Rain pelted them as the Beast continued to call down the never ending storm that was accosting the land. Just getting to the top of the damn had been a challenge with the slick steps and large puddles.

Link sent a silent thanks to Mipha for the armor that kept him dry and would help him in the water. He almost wished he did remember her, she might have been a close friend. But it was for the best he didn't. She was long gone at this point and any memory he might have had would only be a subject of pain and regret, which he already had enough of.

Sidon, on the other hand, didn't seemed faced by any of the pain associated with this machine, despite it taking his sister. But he had 100 years to confront his daunting emotions that came with Divine Beast and was ready to face off against it. In fact he seemed exhilarated by the chance to do something. He could barely contain his excitement. Once again Link felt himself being affected by the infectious positivity.

But if there was one thing that Link could not stop was his over active thoughts that never gave him a moments rest, especially those that revolved around Rinku. He was the oddest child Link had run across so far, seeming to have the awareness that only comes from years of experience.

Link hadn't gotten a chance to see him before him and Sidon left that morning, but Link had already begun to feel an attachment to the kid. Maybe it was that they both didn't have a knowledge of their past. Link hoped that if he made it out that he'd get to take him to Kakariko or even better Haneto. He deserved to have someone take care of him.

Sidon turned to Link, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Are you ready?

"Yeah, I think I am," Link continued to stare at the massive structure. It was time to prove his worth as a hero. He sent up a prayer to Hyila and then just in case, he also gave one up to Farore. It never hurt to have an extra deity supporting you.

"Wonderful! Let's begin! Remember it's vital to use the shock arrows. I'm counting on you!" With that Sidon launched himself into the water, followed by Link as he made his way onto the Princes back. Once he had a hold, Sidon took off at full speed towards Ruta.

It was time to start taking back Hyrule.

****I know it's a bit shorter and it took a bit longer but I'm not really great with dialogue and such. Also can I say that the new BoTW trailer looks awesome and I wish it were out because I would love to use story elements from it. As it is though, I will only stick to what is given in BoTW itself.*****


	6. Chapter 6

****Let the action begin! I hope this doesn't seem too rushed, but I can't do the long drawn out stuff anymore. Also huge shout out to FCL and Shiroyuki717 for comments! But to FCL thank you so much for your thoughts honestly it means so much and I love reading what you write. You're basically keeping me going.

Also I know Rinku does sound a little silly, but no other name I came up with felt right. So I did a cop-out and just gave him the Japanese name for Link.

Anyways yes we're getting to the Divine Beast today!****

"OKAY! HERE WE GO!"

Link held on tightly to Sidon back as the sped towards the Divine beast. As they approached it began to thrash around in the water, stirring up water and belting out a loud guttural cry. The wake Ruta created nearly threw the two of them off course. If Sidon hadn't been such a strong swimmer they would have been shallowed for sure.

"Ruta is responding to our presence! I'll move away and wait for an opening before we approach! I'll keep going at full speed!" Sidon shouted over the wind and rain. It amazed Link he could even still talk with the speed he was going at. "Divine Beast Vah Ruta will undoubtedly use its ancient and mysterious powers against us... That includes hurling giant ice blocks that we will need to watch out for. I shall leave those to you!"

"Wait did you say ice…Holy Hylia!" Link cried in shock. Sure enough sailing towards them was a giant block of ice. He barely had enough time to pull his bow and arrow out and knock it down before it ran into them.

Rain pelted Link's face as he and Sidon raced about, maneuvering around Vah Ruta and dogging the flying ice projectiles. The runes and magic was the same kind used to form ice from Link's sheikah slate. Link wanted to curse the Sheikah for implementing the same technology into the divine beasts. Who was the dead monk Link had to chew out, because with every arrow he wasted he was getting more nervous.

Link fired another arrow as one ice block was flying towards them. He only had about 15-17 left. Vah Ruta bellowed in response and started to form more ice.

"Ha! I am unstoppable in the water!" Sidon boasted as he dodged the ice bits as they shattered from the arrow impact. He's confidence was still intact despite the close calls they were having.

While Vah Ruta was still creating ice coverage, Sidon made a gamble and headed for the water spouting from its sides.

"Now's our chance!" he shouted over the roar of the water. "I'll leave it up to you." He jumped out of the water, giving Link a closer shot at the waterfall. "Good luck!"

Link launched himself off Sidon's back and into the jet stream. At once he could feel the magic in the armor and the pull of the water. Letting his instincts to kick in and holding his breath, Link shot up the waterfall. It was an incredible feeling, like what Link assumed being a Zora felt all the time. He even did a few jumps in and out of the water stream.

With the speed he was going, Link was launched out above the waterfall and overhead Vah Ruta. Time slowed as Link momentarily hung in the air. Pulling out his bow and notching a shock arrow, Link took aim. All the noise and rain were gone as his blood pounded in his ears. He had to make each shot count. Inhale, exhale, FIRE! He let the arrow fly and suddenly he was plummeting downwards towards the water below.

Sidon, who was stationed in the waterfall, jumped out and snatched Link out of the air. Link only had seconds to get from Sidon's arms to his back before the Zora took off as Vah Ruta hurled an ice block at their heads. With one orb down, the machine became more adjetated then ever. Gears groaned and protested as it thrashed about.

"Great shot, Link! Be careful of the ice though." Sidon admonished swimming around it once again. They had to keep constantly moving now as the ice was now also coming in the shape of a large spiked ball.

Link was about to pull out his bow again when he had an idea. "Sidon! How close to the ice can you get us?"

"As close as you want," he responded confidently.

Link nodded. "Good! I think I have an idea that might just work."

Sidon turned, angling his body towards the oncoming ice that was heading their way. Link pulled out his sheikah slate and activated the ice ruin. This was either going to save them time and arrows or be a very painful mistake.

"Alright! I'll take you in. Get ready!" Sidon pivoted his body towards the Divine Beast and towards the ice projectiles. Pulling out his sheikah slate, Link mentally prepared himself and activated the ice rune. It glowed into life and cast a blue shadow with a marker over the already dark environment. Link took aim at the ice block sailing towards their heads. The closer it got the more Link was questioning if this was a good idea, but it was too late to pull out his bow now.

Just as it was about to crash into the two of them, the marker on the slate lit up. Link activated it and the ice that was just there broke! Link let out a breath the hadn't realized he was holding. So the sheika runes worked both ways after all. They would be able to save the arrows for the important parts now.

"Sidon!" Link shouted. He looked down at the sheika slate in amazement. "Did you see that?! It worked, it really worked! It's incredib-OOF!" Link was suddenly flying through the air as the air was forced out of his chest. He barely heard Sidon's concerned shout as he slammed into the water. As the cold began to embrace him, Link felt strong arms lift him up and pull him to the surface. Sputtering Link grab ahold of whatever he could. His whole chest burned with every breath he took.

"Link you need to be more careful! Too many hits and you won't be able to continue." Sidon was speeding around again, but the worry was evident in his voice. "You can do this though, I know you can! You are a champion. Now let's show Vah Ruta what we can do!"

"Yeah," was all Link could get out. The pressure was still weighing on his chest, but it drew his attention away from stray thoughts. There was still a job to do, and by the Goddess they would get it done. With new found determination Link pulled out his slate again and started to dismantle Vah Ruta's defense as each block was shot their way. With his focus now solely on getting through, each take down came easier than the last.

Joro was sitting drinking a cup of warm fish broth watching the morning go by. Link and Sidon had left before anyone else had woken up and whole domain was on edge. He hadn't seen either of them since the night before, being too busy helping Rinku. The tension hadn't been this bad since Princess Mipha had failed to return from Vah Ruta all those years ago. While he had only been a guppy at the time he could still remember the older Zora's panicked expression and fear.

The large grey clouds still covered the sky and rain was still pouring down as hard as ever. Of course most Zora's were going around their business as usual, but there was an underlying tension in it all. Nervous glances to the sky were now a constant occurrence as the damages sustained to the domain became more obvious. There were no more kids running around. The loudest noise was the rumbling of the storm, now mixed with the trumpeting of Vah Ruta.

That was the one noise Joro wished he couldn't hear. Every time he heard it he felt the spike of anxiety and fear over the success of the Prince and the Hylian. Unlike many of the other Zoras, Joro was too young to remember anything about the Hylain, so he didn't have any basis of how capable he was. The king, Prince and Rarata trusted him though so Joro had no other choice but to hope their judgment was correct. If only Rarata hadn't unloaded a reality check on him this morning, he wouldn't have this weight on his mind.

It started with when he was cooking his breakfast. He was up much earlier than usual and Rarata must have assumed he would have been up later because when she walked in she jumped. In her arms he carried what he assumed to be newly created medical supplies. She only had to look at his confused expression before signing and rubbing her temples.

Without even asking Rarata started into a sobering talk about the realities of what could be possible outcomes. As much as she liked Link, she had already seen him fail once before, she wasn't taking any chances this time. So she had immediately started making preparations. If Link were to not return, then Rarata would need Joro to set up permeant accommodations for the boy. And in the event of the likely evacuation of Zora's domain that would follow should the Divine Beast not be stopped, Joro would be the one to make sure the boy was safely taken with them.

This was a critical point in their survival and if Link and Sidon didn't succeed all of Hyrule would feel it.

* * *

_Rinku stood at the entrance to a great gate, rooted to the ground. Rocks rose up on either sides and in the distance was a large building. A long road, decorated with watch towers and sentries, stretched in front of him towards the great structure. A symbol of imperial power, it glimmered in the sun. _

_A sudden tremor broke the peace and quiet, shaking loose rocks and debris. Out in the distance dark thundercloud were gathering and building until the blocked out the sun completely. Wind whipped around his prone body as he was watched in horror the scene in front of him unfold. He didn't know what was happening but he knew it was bad and that somehow it was his fault. _

_Then It came. Rinku didn't know what It was, he couldn't even see it, but he could feel it. It was swirling, growing with power each moment. There was a palpable feeling of hate radiating for it, a deep simmering rage that was waiting to strike. It was pure malice. And whatever it was had its focus directly on him. In that moment Rinku could feel It's anger flare up like a stoked fire. It wasn't random either. All of this hatred was directed at him. _

_Shivers ran down Rinku's spine. He had never felt this small before in his life. But he wasn't alone. Turning behind him, Rinku saw a giant mountain covered in snow. At the peak there was a glowing blue light shining and a soft melody coming down from it. Acting on instinct, Rinku turned and ran towards it. There was something there something he needed. _

_The wind picked up. Carried on it were crying voices, young and old, calling out for help. Some were to scream for each other, others were calling out to the Goddesses to send help. Rinku wanted to turn and help, but he couldn't stop running. His body was not his own and no matter how much he wanted to the fear and darkness drove him on. For reasons beyond him he knew that he had to get up the mountain._

_Suddenly the ground began to swallow his feet. With each step Rinku tried to take, he began to sink deeper and deeper into the ground. His legs wouldn't move and nothing he did made a difference. Rinku tried to scream for help. No sound escaped his lips no matter how he tried. Then right when he was about to lose sight of the world around him he heard voice, loud and clear shout to him._

"_Hey Listen! Wake up, Rinku! Open your eyes! Hyrule needs you again!"_

Rinku shot up in bed, heart racing and mind reeling. What had that been? He'd never seen that mountain before, but it had to have been important. But the darkness? Could it have been what Joro was talking about when he spoke of the Calamity? Regardless it had to be important in some way.

Rinku sighed, impatience building inside him. He looked outside and the storm was still raging on. That was it! Why had no one done anything about it yet?! If the calamity had started 100 years ago, someone should have stepped up.

At that thought Rinku sat up straighter. Something was stirring in him, deep in his chest that hadn't been there before. It was a restlessness in his soul that was urging him forward. Suddenly Rinku knew what he had to do, even if he didn't understand it himself. It felt right through and Rinku was never going to argue with his gut. He was going to put an end to this, as it seemed no one in Hyrule was capable.

Swinging his legs off the bed and onto the ground, Rinku began to look for things he was going to need. First was a weapon. What kind, Rinku had no idea. He did feel like a sword like thing would be best, but finding one laying around might be hard.

"If you want something done, do it yourself," Rinku mumbled to himself as he pulled on his boots. With that in mind Rinku took off into the rain to start his adventure.

* * *

Joro was panicking. Rinku was gone and no one had seen him. For the first time he would rather be taking care of herbs or Muzu's imaginary joint problems. Anything seemed better than being put in charge of a small hylian and then losing said hylian. Especially when the storm was getting as bad as it was. Hylians weren't like Zoras. They weren't born with very good water abilities and couldn't always swim. Joro tried to not image what would happen if Rinku slipped and fell off the domain.

He had searched up and down the domain for him, ever going off the edges to search the waters below, but to no avail. Joro had asked every Zora he had seen but none of them could recall seeing Rinku. The one person who had seen him only saw him looking around on the lower levels, near the storage areas. When Joro had checked though, there was no sign of him.

Joro was at his wits ends when he saw one of the Zora guards coming towards the domain from the east. He ran over to ask. "Kodah! Have you seen the hylian boy?"

The guard looked perplexed for a second. "Actually yes I did. He was heading towards the reservoir. But that was over an hour though." He put his hand up to his chin in thought. "He was carrying a silver long sword so I assumed he'd be able to take care of himself."

Joro's jaw dropped. "He's going there! I have to go… thank you!" and with that he took off. He needed to find his fast before anything could happen to the small hylian

* * *

It was raining harder if that was even possible.

"GO LINK! MAKE THIS SHOT COUNT!"

Link's hands were trembling as he pulled back the arrow. Most of the feeling in his body had disappeared despite the Zora armor as the battled had dragged on. Link could tell that Sidon was also getting tired as time wore on.

Link could do this he told himself, he had to do this, he told himself. There was only one more orb to take down. They were down to their last few shock arrows as well.

Releasing the drawstring Link watched in horror as it missed its mark and sailed past the power orb. The water was rushing towards him as he fell. He could hear Sidon's shouts as the beast was already creating ice and out of the corner of his eye he saw the Zora being driven away. They were running out of time.

In that moment Link pulled out another and without even thinking shot it in one last desperate attempt to take down the beast. Then he hit the water and the air was knocked out of him. Link's vision was blurry as he fell deeper. He knew he should swim but it felt so nice to just relax and let the feeling of weightlessness take over. It was dark and quite. Peaceful.

When the burning of his lungs became too much though Link pushed himself up and gasped for air when his head broke the surface. Blinking Link looked around, trying to get his barring's. Out of nowhere though he felt himself being wrapped in an enormous fishy embrace as Sidon pulled him into a bear hug.

"SPECTACULAR! AMAZAING! YOU TRULY ARE AN INCEDRIBLE HERO! THAT SHOT WAS SUPERBE!" was about as much as Link could make out of what Sidon was saying.

"Sidon…can't breathe.." Link gasped.

"OH! My apologizes I was just overtaken by the excitement. But did you see yourself?! It was remarkable and I am proud I was able to witness it." Link felt his face go red over Sidon's gushing and praise. Then what Sidon was saying ACTUALLY hit him and Link spun around to face the Divine Beast.

Sure enough the last orb was a yellow color and the machine was finally still. The it began to lower itself into the water. Link stared at in shock before turning back to Sidon.

"WE DID IT! WE ACTUALLY DID IT!" he threw his arms around Sidon, who was the one surprised for a turn. Letting go Link was still at a loss. " I… can't believe it… wait…but" Link felt the excitement go down when he realized that that had only been the first part. The real fight was still on the inside.

Sidon seemed to sense this and said, "Lets head to the entrance. Come get on my back." It was a short swim and thankfully one free of ice projectiles. Despite the calm Link's mind was racing. He had a choice to make and he needed to stick with it, for better or for worse.

As soon as it was close enough, Link hoisted himself up. Sidon was preparing to join him but Link interrupted. "Wait!" Sidon looked at the Hylian in confusion as he stopped.

"Whats wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Link looked around, shifting his weight from foot to the other, before finally making eye-contact with the prince. "I don't want you to come with me." It came out morea as a plea and less as statement. Sidon drew back in shock, confusion written all over his face. This was not part of the plan. The plan had been to go in together and face it with a greater chance of beating it through their combined strength.

Sidon was quick to voice this. "Wait what? You cannot be serious, it could be the death of you if you go in there alone..." he stopped when he looked into Link's eyes. "Oh, this is about Mipha isn't it?" he asked softly over the rain. The concern was gone and in its place a deep look of sorrow.

Link sighed. "Yes and no. It killed her and that's on me. But it's more than that. I can't let the Calamity take another member of the Zora Royal family with it. Your people...they look up to. It's incredible how much of an inspiration you are to them. You help them forget that the world is slowly ending around them and they have no way of stopping it. If you were to die they would loose their last spark of hope. That's something I can't let happen, so please let me do this alone."

There was a moment of quite stillness where neither one spoke. Finally Sidon spoke up. "You really think I'm that important?" There was a strange hesitation in his voice that made Link almost laugh. For someone radiating positivity as strongly as he was, Sidon wasn't aware of how much others lacked it.

"Of course I do! You walk in and the whole room lights up. You connect with your people and even others, like Rinku. You're a natural leader and you're not afraid to tackle big problems. Which is why I can't let you do this. It has to be me." Sidon looked down, deep in thought. His shark like features were drawn together and he was blinking rapidly. Finally he looked up.

"Alright," he conceded. "But you have to promise to be careful. My sister may have looked meek but she was a skilled fighter when it came down to it. Don't underestimate whatever is inside of Vah Ruta." Link nodded and with out wasting any time turned on his heels and made for the door leading to the belly of the beast.

As Link was about to enter, Sidon called after him. "Link… if my sister is still in there…please tell her I miss her." Link turned and looked at him. There were tears in his eyes and for once he wasn't wearing his signature smile.

"Sidon," Link started as he stepped towards him, but the prince interrupted him. "Go! Please hurry! The domain is counting on you and my sister has been waiting for 100 years. Please don't make her wait any longer." His demeanor was sobering. Link nodded and turned once more turned to face the entrance. Taking a deep breath he pulled out his silver sword and entered Vah Ruta.

* * *

Rinku stood at the edge of a cliff overlooking the mechanical nuisance. He wasn't exactly sure how he'd gotten up this high, but with all the rain visibility wasn't great and Rinku was fairly sure he had taken a wrong turn. His first clue? He might have a memory problem but he could tell that this was defiantly not a reservoir.

But he had made it and with a pretty good weapon too! Finding it had taken a bit and it was larger than expected but Rinku was already attached to the oversized sword. He had practiced taking a few swings and it was easier to wield than he originally thought.

Now the real 100 rupee question…how was he going to get down?

**End note**

**Soooo sorry that took forever to write and we didn't even get to the real big fight scene. I just couldn't bring myself to write it in the same chapter or it would be way too long.**

**I hope you guys liked it and liked the Rinku pov. I really enjoy writing him so it was fun. There will be more back and forth in the future too.**

**Also I just figured out how to fix and re-upload the past chapters so I will for real this time go back and fix my mistakes.**

**Next up! Water blight Ganon and the dead sister returns!**


	7. Chapter 7

**This will be the first big deviation (besides the obvious insert of Rinku) from the storyline. I just wanted to make the climax of this part more interesting. Enjoy!**

Link entered the massive structure and was completely in awe of the inside. It was massive and intricate in design. There were platforms and catwalks all around, each designed with the same look of the ancient Shieka architecture. The outside was nothing compared to this. Marring the designs though were patches of red and black slime that oozed up and created a pock mark. Some of it had even solidified into spikes that jutted out of the substance. It was a grim reminder that this was not a safe place.

Within seconds of getting in, Link was bombarded with the suffocating presence of the Calamity. It was all around him, drifting in the air.

"_Link…" _Link spun around, immediately on high alert. The voice…he knew it, but where was it coming from? "_Link…help me…please" _It came again softer, drifting through the stale air. It had a musical quality to it and was defiantly feminine.

"Who's there?" Link called out as he made his way further into the giant structure, but there was no response. There was defiantly something off about this place that was tugging on the edges of his memories. Only Link couldn't put his finger on exactly what it was.

The inside was poorly lite in many areas. As he was walking in one such part, Link accidently put his foot in a puddle of malice. Immediately a severe pain coursed through his leg and up his body causing him to let out a started yelp. He tried to pull away but the substance was sticky and clung to his foot like a spider web. Link's foot was going numb from it. Grabbing his leg, Link yanked it out and fell on to his back from the force. Soon the pain reduced to a dull throb and he once again got feeling back in his toes.

Heart racing Link lay there for a second collecting himself. Note to self- Don't touch the slime of death. It should have been self-explanatory but now Link could safely say he had conclusive proof that it was evil.

Letting his head roll to the right, Link noticed a terminal he hadn't seen before. It looked much like the one he had seen in the shrine of resurrection. Pushing himself up onto his feet, he made his way over to the glowing pedestal. Taking his slate out Link set it on top, hoping that he might get some direction. As soon as it touched it began to glow and on the surface of the slate appeared a map of sorts. Maybe finally luck was on his side.

It was the inner lay out of Vah Ruta, labeled in great detail and with some control. On it was marked a large room near the back. Turning Link could make out the doorway from across the large room. If that was marked on the map then it must have some importance. So Link slid his slate back onto his side and made his way over.

Getting through the door, Link was immediate drawn towards the giant terminal. It was three times the size of him and by far the largest thing in the room. Above it, light streamed through slated windows to give the room a glow. The room was also set lower than the door, causing the floor to be covered by water.

Link stepped in and a shiver ran down his spine. For as calm as the room seemed, there was something sinister here. With caution in his step, Link walked through the water to the other side. He half expected to be jumped by whatever thing had first take it over 100 years ago, but nothing happened. Ever sense told him that something was wrong.

"_Lin..Link…I'm sorry…I failed"_

He spun around as a loud cracking noise sounded. Looking up he saw a mass of black sludge attached to the ceiling, like an egg sack. But there were spider-like fractures along it as whatever was inside of it began to move. The unknown thing thrashed about, creating more and more tares. Suddenly it burst open and the thing inside of it fell to the floor with a splat. Rising from the malice was a much smaller figure. Parts of it's body were infused with malice, which contrasted with the grey skin. It didn't have a face. Instead the malice had attached itself and fashioned an eye with horns on either side.

It hung limp in the air as Link tried to think why it looked so familiar. Then out from the console shot a dark wisp of smoke that shot towards the creature. It surrounded it and began to wake it up as the creature twitched. Slowly picking it's head up, it observed Link, who had gotten out his sword.

Out came a slow gurgling sound, followed by a low hiss. "So you decided to come face to face with your failures. How unlike you." The voice was light and feminine, but it had a cutting edge. It was so familiar though, where had Link heard it before?! Then it dawned on him.

"Mipha!" his eyes were wide and he took a step back. It was impossible, it had to be! His hands shock as a sudden cold washed over him.

"Oh so do remember. Well it's far too late for that. Mipha is long gone but I still have her memories." It cackled. "Oh how she begged and pleaded and cried out for you but you were never coming." The Mipha puppet cocked it's head to the side in a mocking manner. "But she already knew that you were too busy to save her. How sad that the one person she loved let her down.."

"Shut up! Shut up!" His whole body was shaking. A slow rage was building inside of him, something he hadn't known he had in him. Link gripped his sword tighter.

A long blue energy spear appeared in Mipha's hand as she glided towards the floor. "Does it hurt hearing that? Hearing about the suffering she had to endure? Good. But it won't compare to the pain that you will be in soon." She touched down and got into a low crouch. "Goodbye hero." Then she rushed forward.

* * *

Never put limits on a bad thing as it will no doubt defy your expectations.

Rinku slashed at another skull monster, vaporizing it as it fell out of the sky. The moment he had gotten on top of the Divine Beast he had been bombarded with those floating heads that seemed to keep coming out of nowhere. To make it worse was that there was still a torrential downpour and outside covering was slick. One wrong move and he'd be plummeting into the water below.

Right then as he was about to turn around, another skull came out of nowhere and dive bombed him. Rolling at the last minute, Rinku dodged it only to find that he hadn't stopped sliding. He frantically tried to stop himself but there was nothing to hold on to. Then he was falling down a hole and landed solidly on his backside. His sword clattered next to him.

Groaning, Rinku rolled over and looked around. He was finally inside! Now all he had to do was find Link. Then they could save the Zora's and…then what? Rinku hadn't really thought about what they would do after. But he supposed that if the Zora's were this bad off, then there must be other places who were in need of help just as much.

Rinku got up and looked around. There wasn't a whole lot to notice, until he heard it. The clanging of weapons in a nearby area. Always a good sound when trying to look for someone. The great thing was that it meant they were still alive and kicking. Armed with this fool proof logic, Rinku went out to find the source.

* * *

Mipha danced around keeping her distance and striking out with her longer reaching spear as a way to avoid Link's strikes. But it seemed that ever she was fused with had doubled the strength it seemed she should have. Her swings and jabs were doing their job as Link had failed to land a solid hit on her yet.

Link was getting frustrated at this deadlock. She was too fast and light, jumping around in an annoyingly graceful manner. At least he could see that a dramatic flair ran in the family.

The Puppet Mipha was preparing to swing when Link finally saw an opening. As she slashed horizontally, he launched himself backwards into the air. Time seemed to slow down and suddenly he was dashing towards her while she was still finishing her movement. Using the opportunity he attacked ferociously, letting loose a hell store of blows. But then time resumed and Link found himself much too close as he was knocked back and off his feet.

Getting up Link saw a black substance oozing from the wound as Mipha screeched in pain. "You worm! When I'm done with you there won't be anything left for your princess to resurrect!" Link smiled as he wiped the blood from his mouth. Good, let it get mad. Two could play this game

"You couldn't kill me the first time. You really think you can do it this time?" Link shot back. He got into his stance and faced Mipha down. It hissed and then went into a flurry of swipes and jabs. Maybe making it mad was not the best idea.

After a slow parry, Mipha was able to knock Link's shield off and it slid across the floor. Link was made a mad dash for it only to be blocked by a hurtling spear that was a hair's length away from impaling him. Cursing he faced it again to see it producing another spear and throwing it as well. Link spent the next few minutes in a dangerous game of 'where should I not be to avoid being impaled'.

No sooner did Link find himself facing down what was a spear with his name on it, then came a loud WACK! of metal hitting flesh. The spear dropped. Mipha screamed and turned to face whatever this new thing was, summoning a new one and getting ready to strike. Only to stop completely when it came face to face with a child wielding a massive sword.

To say it was just the blight that was surprised would be an understatement as Link too stood there flabbergasted at what he was seeing. But nope, there was Rinku holding a sword that should have been too big for him to use, facing down an embodiment of the evil in Hyrule. It was probably the last thing Link had expected, and that was saying something.

Then the initial shock wore off and a new kind of shock took hold of him as he realized that there was a child in front of a primordial monster possessing the dead body of the Zora Champion. "Rinku! What are you doing?! Get out of here!" His yell was ignored as the Blight began to seethe and let out a low hiss.

"You! Of all the stubborn annoying brats, it just had to be YOU!" What started off low and ominous turned into a roar of furry as Mipha lashed out in her anger. Rinku was ready and came up to parry the move but he was slowed down with the cumbersome sword. Still he was holding his own.

Unfortunately Rinku was also confused by the sudden burst of anger. "I… don't… even… know… you!" he panted back as she struck lightning fast at him again. The only response he got back was a snarl as she jumped up and made for an aerial strike. Link knew he couldn't make it in time to stop her. He needed something. Thinking fast, he pulled out his bow and notched an arrow.

Mipha was crouched a few feet away from Rinku, then leapt up into the air. Posed to strike, she was suddenly knocked off course and landed in the water convulsing with a shock arrow sticking out of her. Link didn't know if it would keep her down, so they needed to act fast. He shouted at the younger Hylian as he rushed forward.

"Rinku!" But Rinku didn't need any instructions as he ran over sword trailing behind him. Then the boys instincts came in and he leapt up and came down hard with his sword embedded into it's stomach. It was a brutal finishing move. The creature let out an inhuman screech and flailed about, before finally going limp. The whole creature exploded into bit after. What was left soon vaporized into dust and sank into the water.

Link and Rinku stood in silence catching their breath. There was a moment of stillness in which everything seemed to hold still. Then the bird terminal on the far side began to glow a healthy blue. The light seemed to pierce through the slime and grim of the malice as it withered away.

"Link I knew you would come…" came a soft gentle voice from behind them. Link spun around only to come face to face with a blue ghost, similar to the late King's he had met weeks prior. Only this one was the real Mipha, princess of the Zora's. Gone was the decay and corruption and back was the ornate jewelry and soft smiles that Link now remembered. "After all these years I never gave up hope that you would one day come back."

Link had no words. Here stood one of his oldest and dearest friends whom he hadn't even remembered up until recently and what was more was that she had. Never given up on him. Tears began to well up in his eyes. All he got out was a somewhat lame, "I'm sorry I took so long."

Mipha giggled. "You were always one for oversleeping if I remember. Missed many an early morning training session that way."

Link let out a shaky laugh and ran a hand through his hair. "I guess some things never change huh." The air was thick between them and an awkward silence settled in. Poor Rinku had no idea who this person was and was very confused as to what sort of history Link had with this ghost. Finally Link spoke. "Mipha…I'm truly sorry about this and everything. It was my job and I failed." He hung his head in shame.

Mipha shook her head. "No you didn't fail Link. We did. We were prideful and it was our downfall. But you can change that! You have the chance to fix our mistakes and save Hyrule." Her eyes were wide and fervent as she spoke, hands clasped together. "And though I may not be here in this world physically I can still help by controlling Vah Ruta."

"Wait, so we can still use the Divine Beasts after all!" Link heart skipped a beat. It was the best news he'd heard all week. Mipha nodded.

"Yes, when the time is right I can support you when you take back the castle and seal the calamity. But please you have to free the other champions souls," she pleaded. "Their souls are still trapped and I don't want to image the horrific things done to their bodies." Link could tell how much the last 100 years had affected her. While she was still the gentle princess, she had lost a bit of that warm glow she used to have. Another casualty in this fight.

"Aright we will, I promise. It's been a long time coming, and I can't think of a better message to send to the calamity that this time will be different." Link looked over at Rinku. Rinku the mystery boy who had no memories and a divine guardian wolf. Who carried himself like a true sword master and somehow managed to find him in the depths of an ancient machine. Maybe it was fate they met.

"Hey Rinku!" The boy looked up, startled by suddenly being relevant again. "How would you like to come with me? You seem to be pretty good at this stuff." Rinku's entire face lit up at his words.

"Really! You mean it!" He could barely contain his excitement at the prospect of getting to travel. "That'd be fantastic!"

Link shrugged it off. "Of course. Hyrule could really use you, plus it might be a good way to get your memories back as well." He looked back at Mipha, who was smiling brightly for the first time. "We're not going to let you down, I promise."

"I know you won't, you never have Link," she stated confidently, letting her hands fall as she stepped forward. "I believe in you and so does the Princess. Unfortunately it's time for you to go now. But before you go I wanted to give you this." Appearing in her hand was a shimmering blue orb. Link and Rinku started at in awe and confusion. "It's a manifestation of my power that I would like you to have. Since my physical body is no more I have no use for it. Please use it when you are in need."

The orb floated over towards Link and vanished as it was absorbed into his chest. Immediately he was hit with a strange sensation that pooled in his stomach. He could feel it and when he called it his hands glowed blue, just like Mipha's had when she had healed him all those years ago. LInk's eye's went wide when he realized what she'd just given him.

"I…Mipha this is…thank you." Link hoped she could hear the sincerity in his voice. This was he most treasured possession. In that moment Link knew that her feelings for him were genuine and that she truly had loved him. "I know…" he started awkwardly but Mipha cut him off.

"You don't need to say anything Link, I understand. I'm just happy to be able to help you in any way I can and to live on in your memories." She looked down sadly before composing herself again and straightening up. "Now it's time for us to part." She waved her hand to the exit as blue lines appeared on the floor. "If you follow those they will lead you back out. I've moved Vah Ruta close to shore so you won't have any trouble from there."

Link's heart clenched at the thought of leaving her again so soon after reconnecting but he knew they had to. Putting his hand on Rinku's shoulder, Link began guiding him out of the room. Suddenly Link knew he had missed something.

"Sidon!" Spinning around Link faced Mipha looking stunned. "Sidon wanted me to tell you he loves you and he misses you." Immediately Mipha began tearing up, caught off guard by the sudden mention of her brother.

"Sidon! Oh he must be all grown up by now. Last I saw him was still so small." Mipha was desperately trying to hold back her emotions boiling to the surface. She was avoiding eye contact with either of them. "I hope he's been alright without me, I just…"

"Mipha!" she finally looked up, embarrassed by her feelings. "Sidon is absolutely perfect. You'd be proud of the kind of Zora he's grown up to be."

Mipha let out a breath she was holding and nodded. "You're right. Thank you so much. Now I must go and so must you. Please be safe and know that I will always supporting you." Mipha gave one last smile before fading away.

Link felt the tears welling up again. Giving the room one last glance, he turned back towards the exit. "Alright. Let's go."

Getting out was as simple as Mipha made it out to be and soon they were standing out in the fresh air. It was a clear afternoon as the sun was still bright and the water gently sloshed up against Ruta. There was a shout and on the shore stood Sidon, with a frantic Joro behind him. The tall zora gave them a wave and dove into the water to greet them. Rinku gave Link a look of satisfaction. It had been a long day and Link was so excited to get back, have a full meal and hit the sack. He'd need it for what lay ahead, but for now he could just enjoy the moment as Sidon rushed them and swept the two of them into hug. They'd won today and that was good enough.

* * *

The shadow screamed in anger as he felt the change radiate through all of Hyrule. This wasn't supposed to happen, especially not like this. The hero and interloper had to be stopped once and for all. They could not be allowed to reach Hyrule castle, especially when time was of the essence. If they so much as chaught wind of what was under the castle…

No! The shadow wouldn't let that happen, couldn't let that happen. Or the last 100 years of work would have been for nothing.

Calming itself, the Shadow knew this was only a small step. There was still time to take out it's revenge and carry out the rest of the plan. The new player was tricky but with a few tricks up its sleeve, the Shadow knew it would be able to succeed. And this time there would be no resurrections, no second chances, and no reincarnations. The shadow laughed to itself. Oh this would be an end to remember.

**End of part 1…I think. I probably need to plan this better but I'm just going with it. I really want to go back and fix up somethings now that I have a better understanding of what I want to do and how I want to do it. I hope to find someone who would like to beta or could help me with the story. **

**Please review!**

**Sneak peek!**

They both shot each other a look, wondering who was going to break the silence first. Finally Link gave in, "Alright where'd the sword come from?"

"I found it."

"Found it? So you stole it?"

"No! Merely borrowed with intention to return at a later date." Rinku objected crossing his arms. "Besides no one was using it and it's cool!"

Link snorted. "You just had to pick one that was twice your size didn't you?"


End file.
